Francisco Franco: Difference between revisions

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=== World War Two ===

After ~~the~~ [[Civil War|civil war]], Spain's economy was decimated and starvation began as a result of Republican forces destrting Spanish Farms. Adolf Hitler saw an increasing need to have the Spanish as an ally in order to Capture Gibraltar from the British.

After the [[Civil War|civil war]], Spain's economy was decimated and starvation began as a result of Republican forces destrting Spanish Farms. [[Adolf Hitler]] saw an increasing need to have the Spanish as an ally in order to Capture Gibraltar from the British.

In the 1940's, Hitler and Franco held several talks and negotiations. Franco promised to join the [[Axis Powers]] but only if the Axis powers could provide economic support and territorial gains. However, Hitler saw the requests Franco made as Damaging to his own regime (Ceding Territories of [[Philippe Pétain]]'s [[Vichy France]] government.)

In the 1940's, Hitler and Franco held several talks and negotiations. Franco promised to join the [[Axis Powers]] but only if the Axis powers could provide economic support and territorial gains. However, Hitler saw the requests Franco made as Damaging to his own regime (Ceding Territories of [[Philippe Pétain|Petain's]] [[Vichy France]] government.)

~~[[File:IMG 8505.JPG|thumb|229x229px|link=Special:FilePath/IMG_8505.JPG]]~~

In the end, Hitler realized that having Spain as an ally would be a nuisance and counter productive to the war effort. Hitler later stated, "I'd rather pull my teeth than hear another word from that man!"

Franco's reception of Hitler was not much better. Franco thought that Hitler was secretly gay. Due to Franco's [[homophobia]], he feared that he would go to Purgatory for coming into contact with a homosexual. His fear of gay attitude was known by many. As historians read through his diary, there was a strange occurrence in the past. When Hitler and Franco had to share a room, Franco tested if Hitler was gay. Franco went nude in front of Hitler, and an offended Hitler yelled curses at him. Franco was terrified and attempted to chop his penis off. He failed, and the relationship between the two leaders was tense for around six months. Despite this, Spain and the Axis Powers had a good relationship through the duration of the war and Franco provided aid to both Hitler and [[Benito Mussolini]] of Italy when they needed it.

==After World War II==

The most difficult period of Franco’s regime began in the aftermath of World War II, when his government was ostracized by the newly formed United Nations. He was labeled by hostile foreign opinion the “last surviving fascist dictator” and for a time appeared to be the most hated of Western heads of state; within his country, however, as many people supported him as opposed him. The period of ostracism finally came to an end with the worsening of relations between the Soviet world and the West at the height of the Cold War. Franco could now be viewed as one of the world’s leading anticommunist statesmen, and relations with other countries began to be regularized in 1948. His international rehabilitation was advanced further in 1953, when Spain signed a 10-year military assistance pact with the United States, which was later renewed in more limited form.

Franco’s domestic policies became somewhat more liberal during the 1950s and ’60s, and the continuity of his regime, together with its capacity for creative evolution, won him at least a limited degree of respect from some of his critics. Franco said that he did not find the burden of government particularly heavy, and, in fact, his rule was marked by absolute self-confidence and relative indifference to criticism. He demonstrated marked political ability in gauging the psychology of the diverse elements, ranging from moderate liberals to extreme reactionaries, whose support was necessary for his regime’s survival. He maintained a careful balance among them and largely left the execution of policy to his appointees, thereby placing himself as arbiter above the storm of ordinary political conflict. To a considerable degree, the opprobrium for unsuccessful or unpopular aspects of policy tended to fall on individual ministers rather than on Franco. The Falange state party, downgraded in the early 1940s, in later years became known merely as the “Movement” and lost much of its original quasi-fascist identity.

Unlike most rulers of rightist authoritarian regimes, Franco provided for the continuity of his government after his death through an official referendum in 1947 that made the Spanish state a monarchy and ratified Franco’s powers as a sort of regent for life. In 1967 he opened direct elections for a small minority of deputies to the parliament and in 1969 officially designated the then 32-year-old prince Juan Carlos, the eldest son of the nominal pretender to the Spanish throne, as his official successor upon his death. Franco resigned his position of premier in 1973 but retained his functions as head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces, and head of the “Movement.”

Franco was never a popular ruler and rarely tried to mobilize mass support, but after 1947 there was little direct or organized opposition to his rule. With the liberalization of his government and relaxation of some police powers, together with the country’s marked economic development during the 1960s, Franco’s image changed from that of the rigorous generalissimo to a more benign civilian elder statesman.

Franco’s health declined markedly in the late 1960s, yet he professed to believe that he had left Spain’s affairs “tied and well-tied” and that after his death Prince Juan Carlos would maintain at least the basic structure of his regime. After Franco’s death in 1975 following a long illness, his body was interred in the Valley of the Fallen, a massive mausoleum northwest of Madrid that houses the remains of tens of thousands of casualties from both sides of the Spanish Civil War.

==Legacy==

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 === World War Two ===
-After the [[Civil War|civil war]], Spain's economy was decimated and starvation began as a result of Republican forces destrting Spanish Farms. Adolf Hitler saw an increasing need to have the Spanish as an ally in order to Capture Gibraltar from the British.
+After the [[Civil War|civil war]], Spain's economy was decimated and starvation began as a result of Republican forces destrting Spanish Farms. [[Adolf Hitler]] saw an increasing need to have the Spanish as an ally in order to Capture Gibraltar from the British.
+In the 1940's, Hitler and Franco held several talks and negotiations. Franco promised to join the [[Axis Powers]] but only if the Axis powers could provide economic support and territorial gains. However, Hitler saw the requests Franco made as Damaging to his own regime (Ceding Territories of [[Philippe Pétain]]'s [[Vichy France]] government.)
-In the 1940's, Hitler and Franco held several talks and negotiations. Franco promised to join the [[Axis Powers]] but only if the Axis powers could provide economic support and territorial gains. However, Hitler saw the requests Franco made as Damaging to his own regime (Ceding Territories of [[Philippe Pétain|Petain's]] [[Vichy France]] government.)
-[[File:IMG 8505.JPG|thumb|229x229px|link=Special:FilePath/IMG_8505.JPG]]
 In the end, Hitler realized that having Spain as an ally would be a nuisance and counter productive to the war effort. Hitler later stated, "I'd rather pull my teeth than hear another word from that man!"
+Franco's reception of Hitler was not much better. Franco thought that Hitler was secretly gay. Due to Franco's [[homophobia]], he feared that he would go to Purgatory for coming into contact with a homosexual. His fear of gay attitude was known by many. As historians read through his diary, there was a strange occurrence in the past. When Hitler and Franco had to share a room, Franco tested if Hitler was gay. Franco went nude in front of Hitler, and an offended Hitler yelled curses at him. Franco was terrified and attempted to chop his penis off. He failed, and the relationship between the two leaders was tense for around six months. Despite this, Spain and the Axis Powers had a good relationship through the duration of the war and Franco provided aid to both Hitler and [[Benito Mussolini]] of Italy when they needed it.
+==After World War II==
+The most difficult period of Franco’s regime began in the aftermath of World War II, when his government was ostracized by the newly formed United Nations. He was labeled by hostile foreign opinion the “last surviving fascist dictator” and for a time appeared to be the most hated of Western heads of state; within his country, however, as many people supported him as opposed him. The period of ostracism finally came to an end with the worsening of relations between the Soviet world and the West at the height of the Cold War. Franco could now be viewed as one of the world’s leading anticommunist statesmen, and relations with other countries began to be regularized in 1948. His international rehabilitation was advanced further in 1953, when Spain signed a 10-year military assistance pact with the United States, which was later renewed in more limited form.
+Franco’s domestic policies became somewhat more liberal during the 1950s and ’60s, and the continuity of his regime, together with its capacity for creative evolution, won him at least a limited degree of respect from some of his critics. Franco said that he did not find the burden of government particularly heavy, and, in fact, his rule was marked by absolute self-confidence and relative indifference to criticism. He demonstrated marked political ability in gauging the psychology of the diverse elements, ranging from moderate liberals to extreme reactionaries, whose support was necessary for his regime’s survival. He maintained a careful balance among them and largely left the execution of policy to his appointees, thereby placing himself as arbiter above the storm of ordinary political conflict. To a considerable degree, the opprobrium for unsuccessful or unpopular aspects of policy tended to fall on individual ministers rather than on Franco. The Falange state party, downgraded in the early 1940s, in later years became known merely as the “Movement” and lost much of its original quasi-fascist identity.
+Unlike most rulers of rightist authoritarian regimes, Franco provided for the continuity of his government after his death through an official referendum in 1947 that made the Spanish state a monarchy and ratified Franco’s powers as a sort of regent for life. In 1967 he opened direct elections for a small minority of deputies to the parliament and in 1969 officially designated the then 32-year-old prince Juan Carlos, the eldest son of the nominal pretender to the Spanish throne, as his official successor upon his death. Franco resigned his position of premier in 1973 but retained his functions as head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces, and head of the “Movement.”
+Franco was never a popular ruler and rarely tried to mobilize mass support, but after 1947 there was little direct or organized opposition to his rule. With the liberalization of his government and relaxation of some police powers, together with the country’s marked economic development during the 1960s, Franco’s image changed from that of the rigorous generalissimo to a more benign civilian elder statesman.
+Franco’s health declined markedly in the late 1960s, yet he professed to believe that he had left Spain’s affairs “tied and well-tied” and that after his death Prince Juan Carlos would maintain at least the basic structure of his regime. After Franco’s death in 1975 following a long illness, his body was interred in the Valley of the Fallen, a massive mausoleum northwest of Madrid that houses the remains of tens of thousands of casualties from both sides of the Spanish Civil War.
 ==Legacy==